Web attachment means for spools



y 967 J. K. MACOMBER WEB ATTACHMENT'MEANS FOR SPOOLS 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Jan.

y 9, 1967 J. K. MACOMBER 3,318,549

WEB ATTACHMENT MEANS FOR SPOOLS Filed Jan. 5, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 III/III IIIIIII/IIII/IIIIIIIIA F, a 6

INVENTOR. 776-8 JAMES KEITH MACO BER ATTORNE) United States Patent 3,318,549 WEB ATTACHMENT MEANS FOR SPOOLS James Keith Macomber, Rockville Centre, N .Y., assiguor to Consolidated Lithographing Corporation, Long Island, N .Y., a domestic corporation Filed Jan. 5, 1965, Ser. No. 423,496 3 Claims. (Cl. 242-74) This invention relates to spools such as take-up spools, drums or reels provided with slotted means for attaching a web or ribbon of material to the said take-up spool, and in particular, to such take-up devices which are used in connection with types of machines such as reading machines or other devices in which a paper web is kept under tension, and in which it is important for the machine to have a good grip on the web at the start of the take-up of the web even before the take-up spool has made one complete revolution to self secure the end of the web around the take-up mechanism.

In an ordinary take-up drum of a spool having a slot for inserting the end of a web of paper, unless the spool is wound at least once, or indeed several times, the end of the paper web will ordinarily slip out of the slot. Prior to my invention, a web with program material could be securely attached to the take-up spool of a machine such as a reading machine only after the spool had been rotated more than one time to cause the web to overlap the insettion slot. If it was necessary to reroll the web back and forth on the machine for purposes of using the machine, without dislodging the end of the web from the take-up spool, the web would have to be stopped on the rewind at least one or more turns from the end of the web. This presents a distinct disadvantage in the mechanism of a machine such as a reading or teaching machine because in such a reading machine or reading pacer where webs of paper containing difierent printed programs are frequently changed, or in a teaching machine where webs containing different information must be used, it is most desirable to have a take-up spool in which the end of a web of paper can be inserted surely and securely without having to make one or more revolutions of the spool to insure that the end of the web will remain in position.

This is especially useful in a type of reading pacer such as that disclosed in my co-pending application Ser. No. 331,573 filed Dec. 18, 1963, where the motor mechanism of the device is rewound for each successive winding of a web by means of the operator rewinding the web manually by reversing the web supply roll with a crank or other suitable mechanism geared to the said web supply roll. Thus, the motor mechanism of the device is rewound by actually pulling or drawing the web back to unwind the web from the take-up spool. Without a means to hold the end of the web securely to the take-up spool, a position would be presented where the web would slip out at least before completing the final turn and leave the motor mechanism in an incompletely wound position. Thus, it is a definite advantage to provide a take-up spool having means to hold the end of the web securely as described herein.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a take-up spool for a web or ribbon of material having improved slotted means for gripping the end of the said ribbon or web of material without the necessity of making at least one complete revolution of the web around the spool for such gripping purposes.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a takeup spool having such improved sloted means comprising bearing areas for gripping the end of a web or ribbon of material.

It is another object of this invention to provide such a spool having slotted means which will eifectively engage ice the end of a web or ribbon of material against the pulling tension of the web until the Web is completely unwound.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a take-up spool with a slot-ted means which will allow the pulling tension of the web to safely cause the end of the Web or ribbon of material to disengage from the slotted means without tearing or other dam-age when the web is completely unwound from the take-up spool.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a takeup spool for an apparatns in which a spring motor is rewound by unwinding the said take-up spool, said spool having web gripping means sufiicient to hold against the tension necessary to rewind the motor so that the Web will not be released until the motor is completely rewound and the web take-up spool has returned to its original or starting position.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the specification hereinbelow. These objects and advantages are achieved with the type of take-up device illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view, partly in phantom and partly cut away;

FIG. 2 is a detail view taken from FIG. 1 showing the take-up spool at the first or web inserting position;

FIG. 3 is a top plan detail of the spool of the invention;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional detail of the spool along the lines 44 in FIG. 3, with parts cut away;

FIG. 5 shows a sectional detail, similar to FIG. 4, through an alternate form of spool;

FIG. 6 shows a sectional detail, similar to FIG. 4, through another alternate form of spool;

FIG. 7 shows an end of a web in section; and

FIG. 8 is a View similar to FIG. 7 of an alternate form of web end.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

For purposes of illustration only, I show a preferred form of the invention in the figures as it is used and installed in a device such as the reading pacer disclosed in my said co-pending application, Ser. No. 331,573. It is unnecessary to duplicate the entire mechanism of the reading pacer device herein. It is sufiicient to state that in such a device, the take-up spool 10 is connected by a suitable gear train or other means to a power means such as a spring wound motor, and will normally be urged by the said power means to rotate in the direction of arrow F as shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings. This direction of rotation is the forward direction of rotation, and will advance the web 12 from a supply reel 14 over a platen 13 and reel it onto the take-up spool 10. The

supply reel 14 has means, such as a crank 15 described in my co-pending application, to crank the web 12 back onto the supply reel 14 in a reverse direction, and when this is done, the movement of the web will reverse and go in the direction of arrow R as shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings, thus causing the take-up spool 10 to reverse and rewind the spring motor of the device.

There is also a suitable stop mechanism and governing mechanism, as described in my said co-pending application, to control and stop the action of the spring motor when it is desired to keep the web 12 from moving forward.

In order to prepare the device for operation, the spool 10 is turned by the palm of the hand to wind the spring motor. An end 16 of the web is then inserted into the slot 18 in the drum 10. This is done when the slot 18 is at a first or web inserting position with relation to end 17 of platen 13, as shown in FIG. 2 of the drawings. This may also be called the starting position. The spool 10 is then rotated by the motor in the direction of arrow F and Winds up the web 12 and reels it for the desired so that when the next web 12 is inserted, the motor will be completely rewound.

It will'be appreciated that if the end 16 of the web 12 should leave the slot 18 before the spool 10 is returned to starting position, as indicated in FIG. 2 of the drawings, the motor would not be completely rewound for the next use. Thus, after several uses of the device, the motor would become completely unwound and the device would be inoperative unless separate procedures were taken to fully wind the motor.

In the device of the invention, the web tension, while the take-up spool 10 is advancing in the direction of arrow F, is small compared to the tension while the web 12 is being reeled in reverse by the hand'crank in the direction of arrow R. The slotted means 18 of the invention holds web end 16 by means of the forces of friction against the end of the web 16 due to the construction and placement of the bearing means 24, 26 and 31 of the device.

In the operation of the device, the tension exerted on the web during the rewind operation, 1n

the direction of arrow R, is much greater than the tension exerted on the web when it is reeled'forward by the action of thetspring motor in'the' direction of arrow F. Therefore the grip applied by the slotted means 18 to the web 12 does not need to be as strong when the web I a 12' advances forward, as when it is reeled in reverse.

When a web end 16 is inserted into the slotted means 18 at the first or starting position, and the spring motor is started, the slotted means 18 will exert sufficient' fric tion immediately against web end 16 to prevent the web end 16 from slipping out whenv thespool 10 is turned forward in the direction of arrow F. When web 12 1s cranked back onto supply reel 14 by means of crank andweb 12 moves in the direction of'arrow R, the tension 1 on the web becomes much greater because the web 12 1s;

portion 30 is in the position generally as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4 of the drawings.

Reference to the drawings will show that side 31 of the V has its outermost end substantially adjacent the inner opening of slot 18. It should also be noted that the juncture of said outermost end of side 31 is on the opposite side of the slot 18 from bearing edge 26. It is to be noted that side 31 forms a bearing means or surface which is at an angle to the slot 18. This is an angle of less than 180 degrees, and in the invention as illustrated in the drawings, is an obtuse angle. The reason for this specific type of construction will become apparent hereinbelow.when the function oftthe device is described.

This is a preferred form of construction. The. cuts 30 in partitions 28 could be replaced with any other type of construction which will provide the bearing surface side,

or ledge 31, for the end 16 of the web 12. For example,

reference to FIG. 5 .of the drawings shows an alternate form as a bearing arm 100 molded or fixed to the inside of'ahollow spool 101 near theinner opening 127 being provided with a bearing surface 131' and web stop means web bearing surface 231 in an inner recess of the elbow,

pulling against the spring motorfor purposes of rewinding same. I the slotted means 18 becoming greater unt1l the spool 10 comes back to first or starting position.

web end. 16 pulls out ofthe slot 18. Thus, while the friction of the slotted means 18 is sufficient, while in position as shown'in FIG, 2 of the drawings, to advance the web 12 when under low'tension, it is insuflicient to 'hold the web 12 against'the high tension of the reverslng 1 in FIG. 2.

This results in the'frictional gripping action of' At this point, because of the relation of slotted means 18 and the platen end 17, the web 12approaches perpendicularity with the; fsurface'of the spool 10, and the friction of the slotted means 18becomes less than the tension on the web, and

and web stop means 232. The bearing means 31, 131 or 231 may extend longitudinally along the length of the slot, as in forms 131 and 231, or be a narrow edge surface of a cutout as in form 31.

Thus, whenend 16 of web 12 is inserted, the end 16 of web 12 will bear generally against corners 24, 26 and bearing means 31 as shown in FIG. 2 of the drawings, and these will effectively grip the end 16 of the web 12 instantly as the spool 10 moves in the direction of arrow F. l 7

Referring now to FIG. 2 of the drawings, we can see the position of the web and the drum at the time of inser tion of the end 16 of the web 12 into slot 18 of the spool 10. At this point, the spool 10 is in a first, starting, or web inserting position with thelslot 18 at a point of circumference of the spool near the end 17 of platen 13of' the device. The slot entrance 25'will be facing the platen end 17 and willbe ready to receive web end 16. 'The re laxed end 16 of the web 12 is pushed or inserted intoslot V 18 until it touches bearing means edge 31 of V'shapedcut 30. This causes end 16 to bendbecause of the angle of bearing edge 31 with relation to the, walls of slot 18, en-' gaging thebearing corners or points 24, 26 and bearing edge surface 31. In FIG. 5 of the drawings, bearing'surface 131 is-sho'wn at an obtuse angle to the slot associated ;with it, and in FIG. 6 of the drawings, bearingsurface These results are accomplished by providing the slot Y 18 withwalls 20and 22 respectively which are oblique to any plane P (one of which is illustrated by dotted line in FIG. 4) passing through the slot 18 and also including the axis A of the spool 10. Because its walls 20 and 22 are slanted or oblique to every plane P passing through the axis and the slot, slot walls 20 and 22 will provide web bearing means such as an edge, or corner 24 at the slot outer entrance, or outer opening 25, and web bearing means such as an edge, or corner 26 at the slot inner entrance, or inner opening 27, for frictionally holding ,the web.

In addition, at least one partition 28 is located within the spool 10 with a cut portion 30. I prefer to make this cut, portion in a generally V shape to provide a bearing means, such as an arm or surface 31 and a web end stop means 32 The V shaped cut 30 is placed internally in the spool 10 with relation to the slot 18 so that the cutout 231 is shown at an obtuse angleto the slotassociated with" a it. Thus, end 16 will. bend in the same manner in these 1 forms of the inventionas in the form shown in'FIG.'2..; Slot 18 is provided with bearing edges 24 'and26 which are so positioned, as can be seen in FIG. 4 of the drawings, that surface 31 also forms an obtuseangle to a plane 7 which includes one of thexbearing edges such as 'edge 24 and includes or intersects the other'bearing edge such as hearing edge 26. "Stop '32 limits the amount of insertion of web end 16. Although this stop 32 is not'absolutely necessary for the invention, it is preferred. Stops 132 and 232 are equivalent constructions to stop 32.

' When the motor of the device is started, spool 10 rot tates in the direction of arrow F pulling the web 12 and holding it on the bearing corners 24 and 26 and bearing edge surface 31. This effectively holds the web 12 in place on the spool 10 while it is substantially tangent to the circumference of the spool 10. After the web 12 has been run for the desired length, it may be reversedbyrewinding it against the tension'of the spring motor connected to spool 10, until the entire web 12 is reeled 011 the spool 10. This brings entrance 25 of the slot 18 of spool 10 back to first, starting or pullout position.

The end 16 of the web 12 will be effectively held Within the bearing points 24, 26 and 31 until slot 18 moves back to starting, or pullout position, at which point the end 16 Wi Slip out. The term starting position is synonymous with the term pullout position since the device should be started for each re-use at the point where the web pulls out; otherwise, the spring motor will not be sufficiently Wound to be able to reel out the next Web completely. This starting or pullout point is where the web achieves substantial perpendicularity to the circumference of the spool as shown in FIG. 2 of the drawings. This pullout position will depend on the stiffness of the paper used in the web 12. For example, with a web of relatively stiif material, the pullout position will be fairly close to that as shown in FIG. 2 of the drawings whereas with relatively thin web material, the pullout position will be closer to that as shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings.

In this starting position, as stated above, the gripping action of bearing means 24 is lessened, permitting end 16 of web 12 to be withdrawn from slot 18 because the total friction of the three bearing means 24, 26 and 31 has lessened sufficiently to release the web end 16. Thus, spool 10 has been reversed an equal number of turns to those made while running forward.

The end 16 of web 12 may be reinforced or provided with thickening or stiffening means such as binding or masking tape 34 as shown in FIG. 7. A preferred edge or end reinforcement of tape, such as masking or adhesive tape 34, Would cover the end 16 of the web 12 from the extreme end to a position where the masking tape 34 would lie a relatively short distance outside of the entrance of slot 18 so as to overlie bearing point 24 as well as Wall 22. In other words, the reinforcing material or substance is long enough, in the direction of movement of the web, to reach from the end of the web to engage all of the bearings.

In another form as shown in FIG. 8 of the drawings, the end 16 of the web 12 is stiffened by dipping it in or by impregnating it with chemical means 35 such as varnish or plastic or any equivalent substance. The invention is complete with the provision of the slotted means 18 as described herein which will work perfectly well without reinforcing the end 16 of web 12. The reinforcement for the end of the web is not necessary, and is only described as an alternate form of invention to provide for better wearing quality for a web used over and over again.

While I have described my invention in its preferred form, there are other forms which it may take without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, I have used various terms herein in describing features of my invention such as the term corner to describe a bearing means. This term should include an edge or any equivalent construction providing an equivalent bearing means. As another example, I have used the term plane. This, of course, would also include any radii coming within the said plane, and another example is the use of the term cutout or cutout portion. Such a term is usually used with reference to metallic parts. An equivalent construction made of plastic would be molded to provide an opening or Open portion, and it is intended that cutout would include any equivalent construction, whether in metal, plastic or any other material, and I, therefore, desire to be protected for all forms coming within the claims hereinbelow.

Wherefore I claim:

1. A spool, adapted for use as a take-up device for a web: comprising an outer substantially cylindrical surface around a longitudinal axis with at least one longitudinal slot in said surface comprising a pair of facing walls disposed inwardly from said surface, at least one substantially sharp bearing edge formed at the corner of the first of said walls and the surface of the cylinder, at least one other substantially sharp bearing edge formed on the second of said walls substantially parallel to said first mentioned bearing edge and at a smaller radius from said axis than said first mentioned bearing edge, said second mentioned bearing edge being displaced from a plane which includes said first mentioned bearing edge and said axis of said spool, and bearing means contiguous with said first wall substantially in a plane at an obtuse angle to the plane of said first wall and cutting through the plane in which said first mentioned edge and said axis lie.

2. The spool as defined in claim 1 in combination with a web, with a portion of said web bearing on said first bearing edge and a portion of said Web bearing on said second bearing edge and a portion of said web bearing against said bearing means.

3. The spool as defined in claim 2 which includes a Web stop on said bearing means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 934,744 9/ 1909 Mitchem. 1,446,929 2/1923 Rivetta 24274 2,652,918 9/1953 Lippert 24274 X 2,704,641 3/1955 Schnetzer et a1. 24274 2,766,948 IG/ 1956 Mundt et al. 24274.1

FOREIGN PATENTS 1,084,674 7/ 1960 Germany.

172,399 12/ 1921 Great Britain.

FRANK I. COHEN, Primary Examiner.

MERVIN STEIN, Examiner.

N. L. MINTZ, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A SPOOL, ADAPTED FOR USE AS A TAKE-UP DEVICE FOR A WEB: COMPRISING AN OUTER SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL SURFACE AROUND A LONGITUDINAL AXIS WITH AT LEAST ONE LONGITUDINAL SLOT IN SAID SURFACE COMPRISING A PAIR OF FACING WALLS DISPOSED INWARDLY FROM SAID SURFACE, AT LEAST ONE SUBSTANTIALLY SHARP BEARING EDGE FORMED AT THE CORNER OF THE FIRST OF SAID WALLS AND THE SURFACE OF THE CYLINDER, AT LEAST ONE OTHER SUBSTANTIALLY SHARP BEARING EDGE FORMED ON THE SECOND OF SAID WALLS SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO SAID FIRST MENTIONED BEARING EDGE AND AT A SMALLER RADIUS FROM SAID AXIS THAN SAID FIRST MENTIONED BEARING EDGE, SAID SECOND MENTIONED BEARING EDGE BEING DISPLACED FROM A PLANE WHICH INCLUDES SAID FIRST MENTIONED BEARING EDGE AND SAID AXIS OF SAID SPOOL, AND BEARING MEANS CONTIGUOUS WITH SAID FIRST WALL SUBSTANTIALLY IN A PLANE AT AN OBTUSE ANGLE TO THE PLANE OF SAID FIRST WALL AND CUTTING THROUGH THE PLANE IN WHICH SAID FIRST MENTIONED EDGE AND SAID AXIS LIE. 